


Veritas

by FM_White



Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Haruno Sakura, Gen, Haruno Sakura-centric, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Minor Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, POV Haruno Sakura, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Sage Haruno Sakura, fairytale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:07:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23364424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FM_White/pseuds/FM_White
Summary: In which Sakura travels to Shikkotsu Forest to become a Sage. To become one with nature is to become a conduit, and a conduit needs to be unobstructed. Four trials await her with four guides to show her the way.Two-shot, Haruno Sakura-centric/character study, heavily inspired by Buddhism and Japanese folklore. Minor Sasu/Saku (literally a smidge).
Comments: 15
Kudos: 70





	Veritas

* * *

**_V E R I T A S  
n. _ ** _Latin: truth  
_

* * *

**PRELUDE**

* * *

It was an old forest. Towering matsu trees had long since chocked out all but the most persistent undergrowth. High overhead, the dense canopy of interlaced boughs filtered the sunlight to muted underwater tones. Moss-crusted boulders studded the slope, a whisper of mist gliding into the wood like a beacon, summoning her closer.  
  
In Sakura’s opinion, the forest of Shikkotsu—seat of the Slug sages—was a gloomy sight.  
  
A gate leading to a murky path had been built from stone blocks with a tiled roof, its red color long faded. Ivy had climbed up one side, covering part of the carved slug on the right side of the portal.  
  
A light rainfall began as Sakura stood, contemplating the forest, the drizzle falling lightly down upon the stones and the damp forest floor. ‘ _I knew what I asked for_ ,’ she thought as she sought shelter under the ancient trees. ‘ _Tsunade-sama warned me_.’  
  
Eventually, a figure approached along the forest floor. Katsuyu swiveled her stalks in search of her, having opted for a body the size of a human being this time around. “Sakura-sama,” Katsuyu said, her head bobbing up and down in greeting. “It is good to see you again.”  
  
“Hello Katsuyu,” Sakura greeted with a smile. “I understood from Tsunade-sama you were expecting me.”  
  
“It isn’t often we have visitors in Shikkotsu Forest, and an even rarer occasion when someone comes to train to become a Sage,” Katsuyu said reverently. “In fact, you’re the very first one to try in over a century.”  
  
Sakura raised an eyebrow. “Tsunade-sama never made the attempt?”  
  
“Oh no, few do. The trials to becoming a sage are harrowing and time-consuming at best, dangerous and life-altering at worst,” Katsuyu spoke, before hastily adding: “I am sure you will do well.”  
  
She swallowed. “That’s reassuring.”  
  
Katsuyu let out a tinkling laughter.  
  
“So… What does it entail?” Sakura asked. “I learned from Naruto that he trained to become one with nature and there was a lot of physical training.”  
  
“I’m afraid there is no comparing a Slug Sage training to that of the Toad’s,” Katsuyu said, bowing her head. “The Toads are of the physical realm, while the Slugs are of the spiritual realm. Our path to becoming a Sage is arduous in ways that the Toad never is, and vice versa. It means you will have to conquer not only your fears, but yourself. Are you ready to proceed?”  
  
‘ _To conquer my fears and myself?_ ’ Sakura wondered.  
  
She thought of Naruto and the extreme lengths he went through in order to bring Sasuke back. “Yes,” Sakura said with determination. “I am ready.”  
  
“Journey to the center of the forest,” Katsuyu said. “Along the way, you will have to confront Four Truths about yourself in four trials. Your mind will manifest guardians to guide you through each of the trials.” She paused. “Now, Sakura-sama, this is very important. If at any time, you feel like you won’t be able to go on, turn around and leave the forest. Do not stray from the path. If you get lost, we won’t be able to find you again.”  
  
“Understood,” Sakura said with a frown. “But… The guardians?”  
  
“It could be anyone. Someone you’ve met or still have to meet, or perhaps never will meet. Time means nothing in Shikkotsu Forest. It works different here from the physical realm; both non-secular and non-linear.”  
  
She nodded carefully.  
  
“Proceed whenever you wish, Sakura-sama, and good luck.”  
  
Staring up at the primeval woodland, she allowed the rain to fall on her face for just a moment before taking her first step into Shikkotsu Forest.

* * *

**_DUKKHA_ ** _  
\- the truth of suffering -_

* * *

The path through the forest was long, winding, and really quite boring. She had expected it to be perilous along the way, but apart from the darkness that caused her to slip on the mossy path every now and then, there was remarkably little to fear, and even less to hear.  
  
The critters she had expected to roam about the forest had yet to show themselves and the cawing of the birds she had spotted near the entrance had died away. The only sound she heard was the rustling leaves and groaning trees with every gust of wind.  
  
Sakura picked her way across the furrows and along the pathway. She avoided stepping on the blue-hued grass—though she wasn’t sure why she bothered.

“Do not be frightened, the grass is just that—grass.”  
  
She jumped at the sound of the voice, whirling around as she instinctively grabbed for the kunai that wasn’t there.  
  
A man sat on top of one of the moss-covered rocks. He wore a pristine, high-collared white kimono, held together by a purple sash. Deep red magatama adorned the collar of his kimono. He was a handsome man with alabaster skin and brown hair, two locks on the sides of his head wrapped in bandages. His eyebrows shaved short, blue markings around his midnight colored eyes.  
  
She was sure she had seen him before, but couldn’t place him. “Are you a guide?”  
  
The man cocked his head. “Correct.”  
  
Sakura waited. “Do you have a name?”  
  
“A name?” the man asked, the words rolling over his tongue as though he tasted something unfamiliar to him. “Yes. Though it has been long since I last used it.” He paused. “Ootsutsuki. Ootsutsuki Indra. Yes. That is my name.”  
  
She started. “Ootsutsuki Indra?” she yelped, looking back down the path she came from, as though she could still see Katsuyu from where she was standing. ‘ _That’s what Katsuyu said. Someone I’ve met, haven’t met yet, or will never meet. But why did my mind manifest Ootsutsuki Indra of all people?_ ’  
  
“Are you dissatisfied with me?” Indra asked.  
  
“No,” she replied hesitantly, observing him as he stood to his feet and leapt down from the rock. He was of the same height as Kakashi whenever he deigned to stand straight, looking down upon her with certain intensity in his midnight eyes. “I didn’t know who to expect.”  
  
“The guardians are who you require to get through your tribulations.”  
  
“Well, thank you, I suppose,” Sakura frowned.  
  
“You are welcome.”  
  
“So… I think we’re supposed to follow the road.” She paused “Or is the trial here?”  
  
“It is farther down the road,” Indra spoke, lifting an arm to gesture to the winding path that would take them past a weeping willow. “It isn’t far from here.”  
  
“What do I have to do during this trial?” Sakura asked, tucking away the mental image of her having to fight barehanded with a boar. She started down the road again, finding Indra following her closely. Now that she observed him closer, she could clearly see the distinct features that marked him as the progenitor of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke had the exact same slant to his eyes, the high cheekbones and strong jawline.  
  
“It is the Trial of Dukkha. You will have to find the truth of suffering here,” Indra spoke, his deep voice echoing throughout the forest.  
  
“The truth of suffering?” Sakura questioned.  
  
“Correct,” Indra spoke.  
  
“Very forthcoming,” she muttered.  
  
Indra looked bemused. “If you have questions, ask them. I will answer what I can.”  
  
She carefully made her way through a part of the path that was wildly overgrown by branches, the knotted roots of the towering trees upheaving part of the road itself in places. “What do you mean by ‘the truth of suffering’? Are you talking about my suffering?”  
  
“Part of becoming a Sage is to understand the world around you. Understanding the world around you doesn’t come without a firm understanding of who you are and what your place in the world is,” Indra explained. “Being a Sage is being a conduct to natural energy, but a conduct must be unobstructed.”  
  
Sakura was quiet, letting his words soak into her.  
  
“So, why you?” Sakura mused.  
  
“Why, indeed.”  
  
She looked up to meet his tranquil gaze. “Katsuyu said that my guardians would be people from my past or future or people I would never meet. I’m wondering how all of this works.” Her brow pinched into a frown. “Am I just imagining you and how you would react?”  
  
Indra’s mouth twitched in the same way Sasuke’s would whenever he fought off a smirk. “There are three Sage regions in this world. Myoboku, connected to the physical realm is domain of the Toads. Ryuichi Cave, connected to the mental realm is the dominion of the Snakes, and Shikkotsu of the spiritual realm, realm of the Slugs.” He crouched to pass under the weeping willow. “It is said in ancient legends that in death the soul returns here, leaving remnants of all who walked this earth. Echoes of those who came before.”  
  
“And you’re one of those echoes?” Sakura queried.  
  
“Correct,” Indra said.  
  
Something caught his attention in the distance. She didn’t miss the slight frown on his face as blood-red bled into midnight blue, Sharingan blazing as he looked to something she couldn’t see yet. “Your trial is nearing us.”  
  
She trailed after Indra as he took the lead, leading her to a large clearing. In the middle sat a large, flat rock covered with moss and tiny pearl-colored mushrooms. Just beyond the rock, the path continued into a darker part of the wood, lit every now and then by red lanterns.  
  
A shadow moved on the road, nearing her without urgency. Sakura closed her eyes, exhaling softly, her instincts making her tense. The shade neared one of the lanterns, the light of it chasing off the darkness of the forest, revealing a tall man in an exquisite kimono. His face was covered by a golden mask of a fox, his silver hair combed back. He made no haste to come to her, taking one step at a time.  
  
“Noppera-bou,” Indra said from behind her. She stole a look at him over her shoulder.  
  
“What is a Noppera-bou?” Sakura asked.  
  
“A youkai—an ancient spirit,” Indra explained. “You’ll note he has no face.”  
  
“Please,” the youkai spoke, a few steps from the clearing. “You’re giving away the surprise.” He halted beside the first lantern, cocking his head slightly, the light reflecting off the gold of his mask. “Sit on the stone, Haruno Sakura.” The youkai gestured toward the flat surface.  
  
She glanced at Indra, who nodded in approval. He seated himself in the moss, back straight as he folded his arms into his kimono, Sharingan still active as he observed the youkai close in on her. Sakura cleared her throat and sat down on the flat stone. The Noppera-bou slid toward her gracefully and took a seat in front of her.  
  
Now that the youkai was close enough, Sakura could see two pointed ears, pierced by a dozen of gold and silver hoops, but that was the only distinguishing feature on his face. The mask ended just below where his mouth sat, his chin a perfect ovoid.  
  
“Your guardian has informed you,” the youkai spoke, his voice smooth and lilting. “This is your first trial, seeker of truth. Reveal your truth of suffering to me and you will be allowed passage to the next trial. Fail, and return to whence you came.”  
  
“How do I reveal my truth of suffering?” Sakura asked the youkai.  
  
The youkai lifted a long, tan finger with a sharp-looking nail. “I will require three things. It’s shape, the reasoning behind it and the truth regarding it.” He produced a thin rod the size of his forearm from one of his sleeves and cocked his head. “Are you ready?”  
  
“Yes,” Sakura said resolutely.  
  
“Excellent,” the youkai spoke, tapping his rod to his mask.  
  
Instantly, his face turned to that of her mother.  
  
She swallowed a yelp, watching as her mother flashed a smile at her from atop a very masculine body. It was something straight out of her nightmares, and she couldn’t help but scramble away from the youkai. Her mother’s head let out a soft laugh, and continued to say: “How I do enjoy those first reactions. But it doesn’t seem to be the mother, does it?”  
  
Sound swelled from inside the forest, unintelligible at first, but they became louder and louder until Sakura realized she was listening to herself. Screaming at her mother for tossing away an old picture she had of Sasuke, fighting over the boots she always kicked off, over the fact that Mebuki never professed how proud she was of her daughter and a horrible moment where she had confessed to Naruto that she wished she didn’t have parents at all.  
  
Shame stirred inside her as she listened to her speak about her mother even as Mebuki’s head smiled benevolently to her. Finally, the voices died down and Mebuki said: “No… Not the mother.”  
  
Another tap from the youkai on his face and Mebuki turned into Kizashi.  
  
“Hmm, maybe the father,” Kizashi boomed in his usual voice. A coy look snuck into his eyes as the youkai looked to Indra behind her. “Isn’t it always the father…”  
  
“Very amusing, spirit,” Indra spoke.  
  
Kizashi observed her for the longest time as Sakura’s voice rang through the forest, shouting insults to her father. Balling her fists in her lap, Sakura listened to herself demean her father over and over until the sound died down. She blinked away the tears in her eyes and looked up to the youkai with resolve.  
  
“Not the parents…”  
  
Deep inside, she knew which face would show her the true face of her suffering, but her mouth felt like ash even as she thought of him. That suffering was over; it was over and forgiven and he was working hard to atone for his crimes. It had been two year since she had last seen him.  
  
As the Noppera-bou cycled through the faces of her childhood, from Iruka to her bullies, from Sasori of the Red Sand to the chuunin who died on her table during the war, switching faces faster and faster as he gauged her reactions. Each face brought back different memories and emotions, as visceral as the first time she lived through them.  
  
Kakashi stared down at her, grey eyes unimpressed.  
  
“Do not get swept away,” Indra spoke, startling her. Without her hearing it, he had come closer, squatting down beside her. “This is the Noppera-bou’s trick. They never start with what causes the suffering, only open you up to break you down once it comes.”  
  
Sakura nodded and braced herself for what was coming next. She squeezed her eyes shut, fists quaking as she forced herself to open her eyes as she heard the small tap.  
  
Sasuke stared at her, the corner of his mouth pulled into that smirk she had always found attractive. His eyes were mismatched, ringed purple and midnight blue. Even now, even knowing this wasn’t him, his face took her breath away, her heart thudding painfully.  
  
“Sakura,” the youkai spoke with Sasuke’s voice and mouth. “Is it me?”  
  
Memories that spanned over a decade slammed into her, leaving her breathless. The first time she laid eyes on Sasuke during the academy, the time he aced his shuriken training and she couldn’t stop staring in awe. The time he told her off when she bad-talked Naruto, the time in the Country of Waves when she thought he had died and a piece of her died with him. The time he left the village and she begged him to stay, or to take her with him. That time when she decided to kill him and he almost killed her instead.  
  
The time she found him bleeding out on a rock beside Naruto and he finally smiled a genuine smile again as he apologized to her for all he had done.  
  
Sakura couldn’t stop the tears that flowed over her cheeks, wiping at them as she waited for the Noppera-bou to cease his attack on all her senses.  
  
“Close, but not it,” the youkai spoke.  
  
Her eyes flew open just as he tapped his face again and this time, Naruto looked at her.  
  
‘ _Don’t worry_ ,’ a twelve year old Naruto said, his face scrunched up in a grin. ‘ _I’ll bring him back. It’s the promise of a lifetime!_ ’  
  
Something deep within her broke as she heard the childish, but wonderful promise spoken again. Guilt settled deep in her stomach, both an icy pit and a burning inferno as she wrapped her arms around herself, apologizing to Naruto without speaking the words, knowing that no words would ever be enough to repay him for what he had done and sacrificed.  
  
“I found it,” the Noppera-bou said in Naruto’s excited voice, dropping his fist in his hand. “The shape of your suffering.” Naruto’s voice had morphed away and when she looked up, the youkai had returned to his own form, the little rod stowed away once more. “Now, let’s uncover the truth, shall we?”  
  
“How—” she croaked. “How do we do that?”  
  
“Tell me, Haruno Sakura. Tell me about what festers within you.”  
  
Sakura remained quiet, looking at the youkai as she searched for the meaning behind his words. Indra stirred behind her, causing her to turn to him. “He wants the most painful recollection you have.”  
  
The youkai waited patiently, hands in his lap.  
  
She didn’t have to think on it for long. There was one memory that she could never forget, one acute moment of self-loathing and distress and despondency that she had tucked away to the farthest corners of her mind. “Naruto made me a promise to bring Sasuke back, and in his zeal to do so, lost control over himself.” She blinked away the tears and faced the youkai. “I blame myself for not being strong enough, both as a kunoichi and as a friend, and for laying that all on Naruto’s shoulders. I am at least part of the cause why he pushed himself beyond his limits.”  
  
“Is that worse than the man you love attempting to kill you?” the youkai spoke, tilting his head as he considered her truth.  
  
She thought of Sasuke and the bewildered and lost look in his eyes as he wrapped his hands around her throat and choked the life out of her, Chidori forming in his palm. And then, she considered Naruto, a four-tailed monstrosity; the acrid smell of burnt flesh in the air and the horrifying, blood-curdling roars of a creature that did not even recognize her.  
  
“Yes,” Sakura answered truthfully.  
  
The youkai let out a laugh, taking a deep breath from behind his mask as he laid his head in his neck. As he tilted his chin downward again, the mask had faded, leaving only a smooth surface where his face should be. Infinitely grateful to Indra for his warning, Sakura kept her features blank and waited.  
  
“You’ve passed the first trial, Haruno Sakura. Onward,” the Noppera-bou said, standing from his place with a flourish. He took a bow, retreating backward into the forest until he was nothing but a shadow once more, dispersing into the woodlands.  
  
Wobbly, Sakura stood and pumped a fist, turning to Indra to thank him for his guidance, only to find she was alone in the clearing.

* * *

**SAMUDAYA  
\- the truth of the origin of suffering -**

* * *

Sakura stretched on her makeshift bed of moss, peering through the canopy to see a glimpse of the star-studded sky. Time passed at a different pace in the forest, and she was unsure whether it was day or night in the real world, or even how long she had been inside. After her encounter with Indra and the Noppera-bou, she had been left exhausted, as though all her emotions had been forcibly ripped out of her body, leaving her numb and depleted.  
  
Sleep had not come easy; a lifetime spent as a kunoichi meant that she either trusted her companions to watch her back, or that she would summon a bunshin to keep watch while she slept. Now that her teammates were back in the real world and chakra was non-existent within the forest, Sakura had spent her first night jumping at every sound she heard.  
  
Rubbing her eyes, Sakura took one more moment of reprieve and stood to her feet, starting on the road the Noppera-bou had come from. The path led into a darker part of the woodlands, tiny red lanterns scattered intermittently, its light barely enough to illuminate her way.  
  
Another rainfall started, more intense than the first. As flashing sheets of cold drops came crashing down around her, Sakura swore and hurried for one of the ancient trees that dotted the landscape. Under its roots, she found cover, huddling to herself for warmth.  
  
For the first time, she felt lonely.  
  
‘ _Sakura_ ,’ Tsunade said to her over a shared bottle of sake, the drink staining her cheeks red. ‘ _I won’t stop you from going into Shikkotsu. But know that becoming a Sage is nothing like a regular training. It isn’t something you can do together with your team, or where I can assist you. It is a path you need to walk alone. Are you sure you want to do this?_ ’  
  
‘ _Yes_ ,’ she had answered.  
  
Tsunade took another swig. ‘ _Why?_ ’  
  
She had remained silent as she thought it over for the longest time. The first time she began entertaining thought of going to Shikkotsu in hopes of becoming a Sage was when she watched Naruto just after the war. Rogue bandits and shinobi had banded together to raid small towns near the Fire Country’s borders, and Naruto had utilized his Sage mode to find each and every bandit. She had watched him with awe, wondering what exactly happened to the class’ dead-last during these last years.  
  
With it came the uncomfortable realization that she was still dead-last in their little group. Naruto and Sasuke had transcended beyond anything she, or the rest of the village for that matter, had ever seen before, leaving both her and Kakashi in the dust. And frankly, if the legendary copy-nin was left in the dust by the two men, Sakura could handle being the weakest of their group.  
  
But then, despite the loss of his Sharingan, Kakashi thrived as his stamina levels returned to normal after years of bearing the strain of a bloodline limit unfamiliar to his body. By the time he was asked to become the Sixth, Kakashi was a different shinobi from the one she had always known, able to withstand even the longest of battles.  
  
And Sakura… Well, Sakura was just the same.  
  
‘ _To become stronger_ ,’ she had told Tsunade. ‘ _To transcend my limits_.’  
  
The look in her former master’s eyes told her Tsunade knew exactly where her insecurities and her drive for power came from, but the legendary sannin held her tongue. She ordered another bottle of sake (which Sakura had to pay for) and shared a plate of yakitori with her former student before taking her outside and showing her the reverse summon jutsu to Shikkotsu Forest. She had given Sakura a drunken, but warm smile before leaving Konoha for a new gambling venture.  
  
The very next day, she had knocked on Kakashi’s door and explained her pl—

“What was that?” she asked out loud, peering into the dark woods.  
  
Something colorful had flashed by, barely visible through the thicket. She stood, narrowing her eyes as the dreary landscape in front of her and whipped her head as she found the same orange and blue color shooting in between two trees to her left. And again, dropping from a low branch to her right, this time accompanied by the soft laughter of a child.  
  
“Who is there?” she called out, determined not to be scared by the forest and its tricks. She tucked a wet strand of hair behind her ear.  
  
A face peeked out from behind one of the trees in front of her. Wide, expressive electric-blue eyes set beneath a tousled blond mess. The youthful version of Naruto wore an orange and blue poncho, the exact shade of color he used to wear as a genin. “Naruto?” she asked, incredulous.  
  
Naruto stepped away from the tree. He looked about four or five years old, wearing yellow rain boots that looked a size too large for him. His brow furrowed. “Who are you?” he asked, voice barely carrying through the rain, though it held the same brash tone she remembered from childhood.  
  
“Sakura,” she replied softly.  
  
Naruto crossed his arms, making a face. “You’re way too old to be Sakura-chan.”  
  
The odd mixture of both nostalgia and hesitance she felt upon seeing young Naruto dissipated. “What did you say?” she demanded, balling a fist. Naruto stood defiantly in the rain, not looking impressed.  
  
“You heard me, old lady Sakura.”  
  
“Oh—old lady Sakura?” she sputtered. Gritting her teeth, she made a show of rolling up her sleeve, careful to avoid stepping into the large puddles of mud that were forming in the rain. Naruto yelped and darted away, his little legs too short to carry him too far from her before she caught him.  
  
“Ow!” he said as she grabbed his arm.  
  
She crouched down beside him, watching the young boy struggle as he tried to free himself from her grasp. He huffed and puffed at her, eyes wide and his little face scrunched up in anger as he jammed his fingers between her palm and his arm to break free.  
  
“What are you doing here?” Sakura whispered.  
  
“Playing,” Naruto responded. “What are you doing here, old lady?”  
  
“Naruto,” she said, the warning clear enough in her voice to stop him from struggling for a moment. “I am not old. Now answer the question.”  
  
Naruto pouted at her. “I’m playing.”  
  
“By yourself? Here?”  
  
“I’m always by myself.”  
  
Those four words, so callously spoken, caused her to lose her grip on Naruto’s arm. He slipped away from her and stared her down, the pitter-patter of rain on his poncho almost deafening. Despite the age difference between them, Sakura felt as though she was the child and Naruto the adult, shaming her for her past behaviors.  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
He turned to walk off.  
  
“Wait,” Sakura called out, blinking the rain from her eyes. “Are you… Are you my guide?”  
  
“Guide?” Naruto asked, looking over his shoulder. “What is that?”  
  
“Someone who shows another person the way. I’m supposed to do a trial—a test.”  
  
“A test?” Naruto bellowed. “I hate tests.”  
  
That brought a smile to her face. “Do you know where I need to go?”  
  
Naruto stood still for a while, fists balled as he considered her. “Follow me, old lady Sakura,” he said, dashing off. She sprinted after him, following him as he made his way through the forest.  
  
Once in a while, he got distracted. The first time was when he found a big toad and seemed content to squat down beside it and simulate every croak out of its mouth until the toad hopped off, too bewildered by the little human. Then there was the time he gasped and startled her, only for Sakura to find he had lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of a massive puddle, where he spent the next fifteen minutes stomping around with glee while she waited at the edge, deftly dodging all the mud spatters. The third time, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to an abandoned swing that hung from a willow, blue eyes pleading as he sat down on the dilapidated wood and curled his tiny fists around the fraying rope.  
  
She sloshed through the muddy waters behind the swing out of both obligation and the heartbreaking idea that possibly no-one had given Naruto a push on a swing when he was a child.  
  
As she gave him a push and listened to the joyful sounds he let out as he climbed higher and higher into the air, Sakura recalled the way she treated Naruto as a child. Instilled by her parents and exacerbated by his rivalry with Sasuke, Sakura had loathed Naruto from the first moment they met. He was obnoxious and attention-seeking and Sakura abhorred everything about him. But even then, she had known he was always alone. Even his fellow pranksters and slackers in the academy paid him no heed once those school bells rang.  
  
“Hey… old lady Sakura,” Naruto began, disrupting her train of thought.  
  
“I told you not to call me that,” Sakura sighed.  
  
If Naruto heard her, he ignored her. “Why do you look like Sakura-chan?”  
  
“Why do you think?”  
  
Naruto looked over his shoulder, still holding onto the ropes and scrutinized her. “Because you’re her mother? Or grandmother?”  
  
“You’re testing my patience,” Sakura said, gritting her teeth.  
  
“You’re pretty though. And strong. Like Sakura-chan,” Naruto said, sticking his hand inside his poncho to rub his arm. As the poncho dropped over his shoulder, it surprised Sakura to see a large bruise on his arm.  
  
“That’s not where I grabbed you,” Sakura breathed, her fingers trailing over his skin. If she had her chakra, she would have healed the ugly welt. “What happened?”  
  
Naruto lifted his gaze to her and for the first time she saw nothing but vulnerability in his eyes that had her heart clench painfully in her chest. He looked at the bruise. “Sakura-chan. She hit me because I sat next to Sasuke and wouldn’t get out of the way.” He paused. “I told you she’s strong.”  
  
Despite the pride in his tone when he talked about her and the little grumble when he mentioned Sasuke, Sakura had grown more adept at reading underneath the underneath. Within Naruto’s radiant eyes, she saw herself mirrored.  
  
‘ _Naruto? Who cares about Naruto?_ ’ Twelve-year-old Sakura’s voice spoke to her. ‘ _All he does is causes fights with you, Sasuke-kun. But well, he doesn’t have any parents, so it’s only natural that he can be so selfish_.’  
  
“Don’t be so nice to her,” Sakura found herself saying, drawing Naruto’s attention. “Hitting you just because you sit next to Sasuke, ignoring you otherwise… Sakura is selfish.”  
  
“What is selfish?” Naruto asked, struggling to pronounce the word.  
  
“Someone who only thinks what they want is important.”  
  
“She’s not like that,” Naruto protested.  
  
Sakura almost smiled. How very Naruto.  
  
“Sakura-chan isn’t like that,” Naruto continued vehemently, swinging back and forth, unbothered by the relentless rain. “She’s just scared.”  
  
“Scared?”  
  
Naruto nodded, pulling his poncho straight again. “She’s scared.”  
  
“Of what?”  
  
“Sakura-chan… she doesn’t think she’s cute or strong, but she is. She is always comparing herself to Ino, but Sakura-chan is just as good. Better. She’s just scared.”  
  
Stunned, Sakura stood in the rain, watching Naruto as he swung back and forth without speaking. Eventually, he hopped off and turned to her. “Let’s go, old lady Sakura,” he said, grabbing her hand with two of his as he pulled her deeper into the forest. She was grateful for the rain that masked her tears from the young boy.  
  
He stopped and looked up to her, still holding her hand in his palm. “We’re almost there, old lady Sakura.”  
  
‘ _The trial_ ,’ Sakura thought, nodding as she steeled herself. Naruto slowed down his pace, slipping once or twice on the muddy path. He veered left off the road, causing Sakura to halt in her steps.  
  
“We can’t go off the road,” Sakura said, reminded of Katsuyu’s warning.  
  
Naruto blinked up at her. “Why not?”  
  
“I was told I could get lost.”  
  
Naruto lifted an arm and pointed at something in the woods. She narrowed her eyes, following his direction to find a shack not far off the road. It looked run-down and old, but also familiar in a way she could not place. “That’s it.”  
  
“Is that where we’re going?”  
  
“Yup,” Naruto nodded, tugging at her sleeve.  
  
‘ _It’s right there… I can’t get lost_ ,’ Sakura thought, allowing Naruto to drag her to the hut. She watched as he stepped out of his overly-large boots and pulled his poncho over his head to toss it over a stick by the door. He pushed it open and stepped inside, beckoning her to follow.  
  
Sakura found that the inside didn’t match the outside. It was messy—the sink in the kitchen filled to the brim with dirty plates and glasses, empty ramen packages lay strewn over the floor along scattered clothes. The bed in the corner was unmade and a layer of dust and dirty covered most of the surfaces, including what was visible of the floor. But it looked less run-down than she had expected from the outside and she was sure that with a little cleaning, it would look like a wonderful home.  
  
Naruto stood in the middle of the room and held up his hands. “I like ramen,” he announced. “Do you?” To emphasize his point, he grabbed two ramen packages and held them up for her to see. When she nodded, he rushed off to climb a little stool so he could fill the water in his kettle and turned on the boiler.  
  
She busied herself cleaning the empty packs off the floor and collected all his laundry before depositing them in a hamper that looked like it had never seen use. Naruto chewed his lip before moving his stool to the sink, opening the faucet.  
  
“I’ll do that,” Sakura said kindly. “You dry.”  
  
Outside, the rain continued as Sakura made quick work of the stack of dishes, humming a song to herself that Naruto tried to match. She watched with a sad smile as he grabbed dish after dish, clumsily drying them off before stacking them. As the boiler clicked to signal the water was hot, Sakura reached over to fill two cup noodles, carrying them to the table in the middle of the room.  
  
Naruto gave her a brilliant grin and dug into his food, slurping his noodles with unbridled enthusiasm. “You really like ramen, don’t you?” Sakura laughed, taking a bite of her own.  
  
He nodded with vigor while stuffing more noodles into his mouth. Finishing the cup in record time, he patted his stomach and leaned back with a satisfied grunt. Naruto leaned over the table, laying his chin in his hands as he watched her eat, a content look on his face.  
  
She finished sooner than she expected. “Wow,” she laughed. “I guess I was hungry.”  
  
“Are you still scared, Sakura-chan?”  
  
Naruto’s voice was soft and kind, a deep understanding underscoring the poignant question he asked. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine the 18-year-old version of her best friend sitting across from her. How had she ever thought, even for a second, that Naruto didn’t understand her at all?  
  
“I’m always _scared_ , Naruto.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because…” she stopped, not knowing how to explain the concept of deeply instilled insecurities to a five-year-old, much less the fact that they had haunted her throughout her entire life, even after becoming a disciple to the Fifth. “There are people around me who are much stronger than I am. They don’t need me. It doesn’t matter how strong I become.”  
  
The truth, life’s blood, felt cloying in her throat.  
  
“I did things wrong,” Sakura continued. “I took people for granted and treated people who didn’t deserve it horribly. And even when I try to correct it, I still hurt the ones I love.” There was no stopping the tears that slid over her cheeks now. “But the truth is, I’m always scared. I’m scared to be left behind again. I felt loneliness when you and Sasuke—I never want to experience it again.”  
  
“But Sakura-chan… I’m not alone now. Are you?”  
  
Naruto looked at her with that kind smile of his, the one that always stayed the same throughout the years, his blue eyes wise beyond his years. Something within her broke. This young boy, who had known so little kindness throughout his life, had never given up and pushed himself well beyond anyone’s expectations, including his own, was now comforting her.  
  
“No,” she said, and she smiled through the tears.  
  
Naruto leaned over the table, stretching out his little hands to wipe at her tears. He padded around the table and wrapped his arms around her neck, holding her as she cried her heart out until she was empty and had no more tears to give. “This was fun,” Naruto said when her cries subsided. “Like having a big sister.”  
  
A weight lifted from her shoulders, and when she opened her eyes, Sakura found herself leaning against a tree—the rain finally stopped and the cabin, as well as Naruto, had vanished.  
  
And so had the road.

* * *

 **_A/N:_ ** _Happy Birthday Sakura!  
  
Note that Naruto was both trial and guide, and manifested as the amifuri bouzu, a youkai from Japanese legends that is mischievous and brings the rain.  
  
Part II will be up soon, almost done writing it. :-) Please let me know what you think. <3_ _  
  
_


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